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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rock — music
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rock — a stone
  8. hand — in cards
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cell — a phone
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. row — a line
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. spring — a coil
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. row — a quarrel

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