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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. fine — all right
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. present — a gift
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. court — of law
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. present — the time now
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wake — a trail
  16. present — there
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. craft — a skill
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. craft — boats
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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