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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. ball — a dance
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. march — the month
  13. chair — a leader
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. capital — a city
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ball — a great time
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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