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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. spell — letters
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. charge — in control
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. face — to confront
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — a price
  13. face — to point toward
  14. stock — shares
  15. perch — the fish
  16. spell — magic
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cell — a phone
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stock — goods
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. charge — electricity
  24. spell — a short time

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