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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cold — not warm
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. court — of a king
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. spell — a short time
  9. court — for sport
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bass — low music
  15. court — of law
  16. spell — letters
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. spell — magic
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. rock — music

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