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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hand — help
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. chest — a box
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bound — certain
  14. chest — of your body
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. hand — in cards
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bound — obliged
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bound — tied together
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. safe — out of danger

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