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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fall — to drop
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wake — a trail
  5. clip — to cut
  6. spell — magic
  7. fall — to drop
  8. spell — a short time
  9. fall — the season
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. spell — letters
  14. clip — for paper
  15. charge — in control
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. charge — a price
  19. fine — all right
  20. clip — a video
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. nail — for a hammer

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