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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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. nail — for a hammer
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. last — to go on
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. tear — to rip
  11. sharp — clever
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mate — to breed
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. mate — a friend
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. last — finally
  23. mate — a partner
  24. sharp — exactly

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