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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 116 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. current — of water
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. hand — help
  11. tube — a container
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. drill — the tool
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. prune — to trim
  17. current — electric
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. prune — to trim
  20. current — happening now
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. drill — a practice
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. drill — army training

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