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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. last — to go on
  9. date — the fruit
  10. lean — to bend
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. scale — in music
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. last — finally
  17. last — final
  18. cue — for pool
  19. scale — size or range
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. hide — animal skin

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