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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 116 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mug — a cup
  4. spell — magic
  5. clip — for paper
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mug — a face
  8. rock — music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mug — to rob
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. clip — a video
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rest — a break
  16. rock — a stone
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. clip — to cut
  23. court — for sport
  24. wave — with your hand

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