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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bass — low music
  4. spell — magic
  5. spring — of water
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bank — for money
  8. spell — a short time
  9. foot — a measure
  10. spell — letters
  11. bank — for money
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bank — of a river
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spring — the season
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bass — the fish

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