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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fine — high quality
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. saw — the tool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. spell — letters
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spell — a short time
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. spell — magic
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fine — all right
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bear — to put up with

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