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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. spell — letters
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cell — in biology
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cell — a phone
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. last — to go on
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. present — there

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