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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. field — farmland
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. spell — magic
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spell — a short time
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bass — low music
  12. spell — letters
  13. bass — the fish
  14. field — for sport
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. field — a subject

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