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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. fine — high quality
  4. row — to paddle
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. row — a line
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. saw — the tool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fine — all right
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. rash — hasty
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rash — a series
  24. fine — a penalty

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