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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 116 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fork — in a road
  4. race — humankind
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. race — a contest
  11. rest — what's left
  12. tear — to rip
  13. spell — a short time
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rest — a break
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tear — from crying
  20. race — the arms race
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spell — letters
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. spell — magic

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