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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. rule — a law
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. tube — a container
  7. fall — to drop
  8. spell — magic
  9. mate — a friend
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fall — the season
  14. saw — the tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. fall — to drop
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rule — government

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