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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bass — low music
  4. file — a tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. file — a document
  7. bass — the fish
  8. spell — magic
  9. bank — for money
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. ball — a dance
  12. spell — letters
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bank — of a river
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. file — a line of people
  20. sharp — clever
  21. spell — a short time
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. sharp — exactly

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