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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. spring — of water
  3. bass — the fish
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bass — low music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bound — certain
  8. spring — a coil
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. kick — in football
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. spring — the season
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bound — obliged

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