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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cell — in biology
  3. present — the time now
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. present — a gift
  9. pass — a permit
  10. cell — a phone
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. snap — to click
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. present — there

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