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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tear · track · wound · land · sharp · lie · lash · safe

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tear — to rip
  7. land — a country
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. track — to keep track
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. sharp — clever
  15. track — a path
  16. land — ground
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wound — an injury
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. track — a song
  23. land — to come down
  24. lie — to recline

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