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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 116 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: spell · rush · safe · nail · wound · cell · tear · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spell — letters
  10. cell — in biology
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cell — a phone
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. lean — to bend
  16. tear — to rip
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rush — hurry
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. wound — an injury
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spell — magic

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