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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rest — what's left
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. spring — the season
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. firm — steady
  12. shower — to wash
  13. spring — a coil
  14. firm — a company
  15. rest — a break
  16. shower — rain
  17. spring — of water
  18. last — final
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. firm — decided
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. rest — what's left

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