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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — a measure
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. file — a line of people
  6. object — a thing
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rash — a series
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. object — to protest
  14. bound — tied together
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bound — certain
  18. file — a tool
  19. bound — obliged
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fine — all right
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. file — a document
  24. object — an aim

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