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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rash — hasty
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rash — a series
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. ground — a position
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fine — a penalty

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