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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. staff — employees
  5. spell — letters
  6. rock — a stone
  7. staff — employees
  8. present — there
  9. staff — a stick
  10. spell — a short time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ball — a great time
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. present — a gift
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spell — magic

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