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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mark — a trace
  4. last — final
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bound — certain
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. band — a ring
  10. chair — a leader
  11. wind — moving air
  12. last — to go on
  13. wind — moving air
  14. last — finally
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. band — a music group
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. mark — a grade
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. temple — a place of worship

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