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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.

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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. band — a ring
  2. pop — to visit
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. spring — a coil
  6. can — a tin
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. season — in sport
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pop — music
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pop — soda
  20. wake — a trail
  21. season — of the year
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. can — a tin
  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