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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. spell — a short time
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mark — a grade
  6. net — after costs
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. net — in sport
  10. spell — letters
  11. net — for catching
  12. vault — a safe
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. spell — magic
  21. mark — a trace
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rest — what's left

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