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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · safe · lash · stem · bay · sharp · hand · firm

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. firm — decided
  3. pit — in a race
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. firm — steady
  6. hand — in cards
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stem — to come from
  19. firm — a company
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. hand — help
  24. sharp — with an edge

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