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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. net — in sport
  6. spell — letters
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. net — after costs
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cell — a phone
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. net — for catching
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stem — to come from
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. spell — magic
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. face — part of the head

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