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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. spell — letters
  5. ball — a great time
  6. stand — to bear
  7. face — part of the head
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. spell — magic
  10. present — there
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rule — government
  13. present — the time now
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. season — in sport
  18. spell — a short time
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rule — a law
  21. face — to confront
  22. season — of the year
  23. present — a gift
  24. season — to add flavour

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