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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. craft — boats
  7. cold — not warm
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cold — an illness
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. key — for a lock
  12. fine — high quality
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. craft — a skill
  16. key — in music
  17. deal — to handle
  18. safe — out of danger

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