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

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fall — the season
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. can — a tin
  5. game — wild animals
  6. can — to be able to
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fall — to drop
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. can — a tin
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. toast — bread

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