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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.

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: firm · safe · pop · spell · wind · mate · racket · sharp

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. wind — moving air
  3. spell — letters
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pop — to visit
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. firm — steady
  8. pop — soda
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. spell — magic
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mate — to breed
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. firm — a company
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wind — moving air
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mate — a friend
  23. firm — decided
  24. spell — a short time

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