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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. fine — all right
  6. fall — the season
  7. spell — letters
  8. fall — to drop
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. fall — to drop
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. dip — to sink
  15. spell — magic
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. snap — to click
  24. dip — a sauce

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