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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tear — to rip
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. race — humankind
  6. lie — to recline
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. net — in sport
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. net — after costs
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chip — to eat
  14. net — for catching
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. race — a contest
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. race — the arms race
  20. foot — a measure
  21. tear — from crying
  22. chip — for betting
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tear — from crying

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