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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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468
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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. dip — to sink
  8. spring — a coil
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitch — completely
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spring — of water
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spring — the season
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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