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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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468
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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. spell — magic
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spell — a short time
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. object — a thing
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. cell — in biology
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. spell — letters
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. track — to keep track
  18. kid — to tease
  19. object — an aim
  20. cell — a phone
  21. object — to protest
  22. fine — all right
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. fan — a supporter

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