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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. present — there
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. craft — boats
  11. present — a gift
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. ground — the earth
  17. present — the time now
  18. degree — an amount
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. ground — a position
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — temperature
  23. rush — hurry
  24. craft — a skill

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