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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. rule — a law
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. spell — a short time
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. spell — letters
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rule — government
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pass — a permit
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kid — child
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. spell — magic
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed

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