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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. field — farmland
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. clip — a video
  6. suit — to fit
  7. lie — to recline
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. field — a subject
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bound — tied together
  12. snap — to click
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — for paper
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bound — certain
  19. field — for sport
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bound — obliged
  22. suit — clothes
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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