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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spell — letters
  3. fine — high quality
  4. roll — a cake
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. craft — boats
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fine — all right
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chip — for betting
  11. spell — magic
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. roll — a list
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. craft — a skill
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. wound — an injury
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wound — an injury

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