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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cell — in biology
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. current — happening now
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. capital — a city
  8. current — of water
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. press — to push
  13. press — a publisher
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. capital — money
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cell — a phone
  22. mine — for digging
  23. current — electric
  24. mine — an explosive

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