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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. spell — magic
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spell — letters
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fine — all right
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mate — a partner
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bulb — for light
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spell — a short time
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. mate — a friend
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. root — of a word

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