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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. file — a document
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wind — moving air
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. file — a tool
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. roll — a list
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. chip — for betting
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. file — a line of people

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