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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. spell — magic
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. spell — a short time
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mark — a grade
  21. spell — letters
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mark — a trace
  24. date — on the calendar

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