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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. last — finally
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. cold — an illness
  6. present — the time now
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. present — a gift
  10. cold — not warm
  11. scale — in music
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. scale — size or range
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wave — of the sea

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