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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pop — music
  4. present — there
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cell — in biology
  7. spell — magic
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pop — soda
  10. present — a gift
  11. object — a thing
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pop — to visit
  16. object — to protest
  17. spell — letters
  18. present — the time now
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cell — a phone
  23. object — an aim
  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