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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. mate — a partner
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bound — tied together
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bass — low music
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mate — to breed
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. race — humankind
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. race — a contest
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. race — the arms race

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