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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. dip — to sink
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mate — to breed
  9. last — to go on
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mate — a friend
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. ball — a dance
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. last — finally
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. last — final
  24. nail — for a hammer

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