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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. season — of the year
  7. land — ground
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. ground — a position
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. snap — to click
  15. ground — crushed
  16. land — a country
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. land — to come down
  21. season — in sport
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. chair — a leader
  24. ground — the earth

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