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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: sharp · game · tear · firm · stick · lash · safe · cold

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. game — wild animals
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cold — not warm
  13. tear — from crying
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — steady
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cold — an illness
  18. game — a match
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. firm — a company
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lash — an eyelash

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