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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. spell — magic
  6. lie — to recline
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. row — a line
  9. date — the fruit
  10. cell — a phone
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. roll — a cake
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. spell — a short time
  17. row — to paddle
  18. spell — letters
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. roll — a list
  24. cell — in biology

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