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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 120 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bear — the animal
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. club — for golf
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mine — for digging
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. foot — a measure
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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