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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fine — all right
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rash — a series
  9. track — to keep track
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bore — to tire
  12. track — a song
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rest — a break
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. saw — the tool
  21. track — a path
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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