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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. charge — in control
  7. bear — the animal
  8. charge — electricity
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. game — wild animals
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. charge — a price
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. safe — out of danger

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