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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pop — to visit
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pop — music
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pop — soda
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. toast — bread
  15. fine — high quality
  16. clip — a video
  17. spring — of water
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. clip — to cut
  23. spring — the season
  24. clip — for paper

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