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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hand — in cards
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. rest — what's left
  7. game — a match
  8. hand — help
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. shower — rain
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. saw — the tool
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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