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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pit — a hole
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. spell — magic
  7. chest — of your body
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. spell — letters
  11. mark — a trace
  12. deal — to handle
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. spell — a short time
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. ground — a position
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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