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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 116 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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spring — a coil
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mug — a cup
  12. spell — letters
  13. spring — the season
  14. mug — a face
  15. lie — to recline
  16. spell — magic
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ball — a great time
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kick — in football
  24. spring — of water

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