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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · spell · wind · wound · key · mug · safe · fine

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mug — a cup
  5. key — in music
  6. spell — magic
  7. court — of law
  8. court — of a king
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. court — for sport
  11. fine — all right
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. spell — letters
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mug — to rob
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mug — a face
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. safe — out of danger

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