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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. tear — to rip
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. suit — in cards
  6. mate — to breed
  7. spell — magic
  8. mate — a partner
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bulb — for light
  11. suit — clothes
  12. spell — a short time
  13. chair — a leader
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. spell — letters
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mate — a friend
  21. suit — to fit
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bulb — of a plant

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