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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. staff — employees
  3. rest — what's left
  4. spell — magic
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rest — a break
  7. staff — a stick
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spell — a short time
  16. net — in sport
  17. pit — a hole
  18. rest — what's left
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spell — letters
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. staff — employees

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