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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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Word bank
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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. spell — a short time
  5. fall — the season
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mug — to rob
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. swing — music
  11. fall — to drop
  12. root — the cause
  13. fine — high quality
  14. spell — letters
  15. root — of a word
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pit — in a race
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mug — a cup
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mug — a face
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. spell — magic
  24. swing — to play on

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