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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. court — of law
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. dip — to sink
  7. court — for sport
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wake — a trail
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. tube — a container
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. content — the amount
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. court — of a king
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. content — happy
  24. rush — hurry

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