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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. dip — to sink
  4. tear — from crying
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fine — high quality
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. clip — to cut
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. tear — from crying
  14. firm — steady
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. firm — decided
  19. clip — for paper
  20. tear — to rip
  21. firm — a company
  22. clip — a video
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. ruler — a monarch

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