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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. band — a music group
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. last — final
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. fine — all right
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. last — to go on
  19. mark — a trace
  20. last — finally
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fine — high quality
  24. band — a ring

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