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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rash — hasty
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. current — happening now
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. row — to paddle
  24. rash — a series

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