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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spell — letters
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bass — low music
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pit — a hole
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. spell — magic
  13. hand — help
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fine — high quality
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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