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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pop — soda
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bound — obliged
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pop — to visit
  7. fall — to drop
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bear — the animal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. fall — the season
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pit — in a race
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pop — music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spell — magic
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bound — certain
  24. safe — out of danger

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