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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. chest — a box
  3. current — happening now
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. current — electric
  9. bear — the animal
  10. capital — a city
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. current — of water
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. cue — a hint
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cue — for pool
  18. foot — a measure
  19. spell — magic
  20. capital — money
  21. chest — of your body
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. chest — of your body

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