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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. toast — bread
  4. date — the fruit
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. degree — temperature
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bass — low music
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. degree — from a university
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bass — the fish
  24. degree — an amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com