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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rule — a law
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. charge — a price
  7. spring — the season
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rule — government
  10. charge — in control
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. charge — electricity
  13. spell — magic
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — to tease
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. spell — letters
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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