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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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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: safe · cue · tear · rest · mate · trunk · fan · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rest — a break
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mate — a partner
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cue — a signal
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. spell — magic
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cue — for pool
  18. spell — letters
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. cue — a hint
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rest — what's left
  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