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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. march — the month
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. march — music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bat — the animal
  14. file — a document
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. march — the month
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. file — a tool
  24. leaves — of a tree

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