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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bear — the animal
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bound — obliged
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. band — a ring
  14. rash — hasty
  15. band — a music group
  16. bound — certain
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. kick — in football
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. rash — a series

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