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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. file — a line of people
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. rule — government
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. swing — music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rule — a law
  13. file — a tool
  14. swing — in golf
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. saw — the tool
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. spell — letters
  20. file — a document
  21. saw — the tool
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bear — the animal
  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