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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. band — a music group
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bore — to tire
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wake — a trail
  9. spell — a short time
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spell — letters
  16. bore — to drill
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bulb — for light
  24. spell — magic

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