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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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Word bank
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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rush — hurry
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mouse — for a computer

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