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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. swing — to play on
  3. scale — size or range
  4. swing — music
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mate — to breed
  10. saw — the tool
  11. file — a tool
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. swing — in golf
  15. scale — in music
  16. file — a document
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wake — a trail
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. file — a line of people
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. hide — to keep secret

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