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

Word bank: court · kid · row · safe · dip · toast · lean · wound

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. court — for sport
  4. dip — to sink
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. row — to paddle
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. lean — thin
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. kid — child
  14. court — of a king
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. row — a line
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. kid — to tease
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. court — of law

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