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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. spell — letters
  3. lie — to recline
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spell — magic
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. roll — a cake
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mate — to breed
  15. clip — for paper
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bore — to tire
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bore — to drill
  20. roll — a list
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. clip — a video
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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