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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. firm — a company
  3. mug — a cup
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. last — finally
  6. mug — a face
  7. spell — magic
  8. wound — an injury
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — a group
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. firm — decided
  14. spell — a short time
  15. club — for golf
  16. last — to go on
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mug — to rob
  20. firm — steady
  21. last — final
  22. wound — an injury
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. saw — the tool

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