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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: tear · safe · ball · jam · leaves · cabinet · nail · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. tear — to rip
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. last — finally
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. last — final
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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