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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 120 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spell — magic
  4. pop — music
  5. craft — boats
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. spring — the season
  10. pop — to visit
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. band — a ring
  14. fine — high quality
  15. craft — a skill
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pop — soda
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fine — all right
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. band — a music group
  23. spring — of water
  24. chest — of your body

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