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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. spell — magic
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. spell — letters
  10. rash — a series
  11. chair — a leader
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. season — of the year
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chair — a professorship

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