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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. spell — letters
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. court — for sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. court — of law
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. fine — all right
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. lie — to recline
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cap — a hat
  23. court — of a king
  24. spell — magic

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