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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ground — a position
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. mate — a friend
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. last — final
  7. mate — a partner
  8. lie — to recline
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rest — what's left
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. last — to go on
  14. ground — the earth
  15. mate — to breed
  16. last — finally
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. object — to protest
  22. rest — a break
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spell — magic

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