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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spell — magic
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. cap — a hat
  9. can — a tin
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. can — a tin
  12. rash — a series
  13. fork — in a road
  14. game — wild animals
  15. spell — a short time
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. can — to be able to
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. game — a match
  21. spell — letters
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rash — hasty
  24. cap — of ice

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