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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 120 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rule — government
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. rule — a law
  14. stand — to bear
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chest — a box
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pitcher — a jug

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