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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 120 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. 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. row — a quarrel
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fine — high quality
  7. row — to paddle
  8. spell — a short time
  9. foot — a measure
  10. sharp — clever
  11. fine — all right
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. shower — rain
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. row — a line
  22. object — to protest
  23. spell — letters
  24. 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