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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mate — a partner
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. hand — help
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. game — a match
  14. club — for golf
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mate — to breed
  18. club — a group
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mate — a friend
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. game — wild animals

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