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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. last — final
  3. cell — in biology
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rash — hasty
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. firm — decided
  8. last — finally
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. firm — a company
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. last — to go on
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rash — a series
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. firm — steady
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cell — a phone

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