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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: safe · can · fan · bound · bear · deal · last · sharp

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bound — tied together
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bound — obliged
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. can — a tin
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. last — to go on
  18. bound — certain
  19. can — a tin
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. last — finally

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