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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. fine — all right
  3. key — in music
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. key — for a lock
  6. track — a path
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. track — a song
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wind — moving air
  13. key — the most important part
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. track — to keep track
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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