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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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 — a strongbox
  4. land — to come down
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. land — ground
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rock — music
  9. land — a country
  10. degree — temperature
  11. file — a line of people
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — from a university
  14. file — a tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bulb — for light
  24. file — a document

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