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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bound — obliged
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rule — a law
  10. degree — temperature
  11. wind — moving air
  12. scale — in music
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. degree — from a university
  15. rule — government
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wind — moving air
  19. foot — a measure
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bound — certain
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bound — tied together

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