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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fall — the season
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. swing — in golf
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. degree — an amount
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bass — low music
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bear — the animal
  21. swing — music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. degree — temperature
  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