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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a music group
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. band — a ring
  12. present — the time now
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. season — of the year
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. dip — to sink
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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