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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stem — to come from
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. net — for catching
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. net — after costs
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. net — in sport
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. kid — child

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