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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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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. land — ground
  3. last — finally
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. last — to go on
  6. bear — the animal
  7. last — final
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. bound — certain
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bound — tied together

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