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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 124 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. roll — a cake
  3. last — final
  4. band — a ring
  5. last — to go on
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. charge — electricity
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. staff — employees
  10. band — a music group
  11. kid — child
  12. staff — employees
  13. charge — a price
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. club — a group
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. staff — a stick
  18. kid — to tease
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. charge — in control
  22. roll — a list
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. last — finally

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