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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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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. spell — letters
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. fine — all right
  5. saw — the tool
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cell — a phone
  8. spell — magic
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. spell — a short time
  14. tube — a container
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cell — in biology
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pop — music
  19. fine — high quality
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. saw — the tool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. root — of a plant
  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