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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. file — a line of people
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. suit — clothes
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. file — a tool
  11. suit — in cards
  12. cell — in biology
  13. suit — to fit
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wax — to grow
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cell — a phone
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. file — a document

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