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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 120 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: object · wound · club · firm · game · tear · safe · pass

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pass — a permit
  3. club — a group
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. club — for golf
  6. tear — from crying
  7. firm — steady
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. object — to protest
  12. tear — to rip
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wound — an injury
  15. game — a match
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. object — a thing
  19. tear — from crying
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. club — for dancing
  22. firm — a company
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. firm — decided

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