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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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Word bank
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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. rash — a series
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fine — all right
  10. wound — an injury
  11. drill — army training
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chair — a leader
  23. drill — the tool
  24. safe — a strongbox

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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