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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. kid — child
  7. saw — the tool
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rule — government
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rule — a law

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