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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spell — letters
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. charge — in control
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spell — magic
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. spell — a short time
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. hand — help
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. deal — to handle
  22. charge — a price
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. fork — a garden tool

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