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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: lash · bound · march · court · saw · sharp · jam · safe

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. court — of a king
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. march — music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. march — the month
  19. court — of law
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. court — for sport
  22. bound — tied together
  23. march — the month
  24. lash — an eyelash

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