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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. can — a tin
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. can — a tin
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cold — an illness
  23. hand — in cards
  24. present — the time now

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