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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. charge — electricity
  4. spell — a short time
  5. snap — to click
  6. spell — magic
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. charge — in control
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. charge — a price
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. sharp — clever
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stem — to come from
  22. spell — letters
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. sharp — exactly

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