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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 124 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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cue — a hint
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. season — in sport
  7. spring — the season
  8. track — a song
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rock — a stone
  11. chest — a box
  12. track — to keep track
  13. season — of the year
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. spring — a coil
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rock — music
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cue — for pool
  21. spring — of water
  22. track — a path
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cue — a signal

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