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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 is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. charge — electricity
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. charge — in control
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. charge — a price
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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