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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 120 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. mark — a trace
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. spell — magic
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bowl — a dish

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