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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. face — to point toward
  6. ball — a dance
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. face — part of the head
  11. spell — letters
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pop — soda
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cell — in biology
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cell — a phone
  21. spell — magic
  22. face — to confront
  23. pop — music
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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