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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. tube — a container
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. tube — the underground
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pop — soda
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. kid — to tease
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pop — to visit
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. temple — a place of worship

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