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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: safe · racket · field · tear · wind · rest · chip · stick

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. field — for sport
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rest — what's left
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. field — a subject
  14. tear — to rip
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chip — for betting
  19. tear — from crying
  20. field — farmland
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rest — a break
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. tear — from crying

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