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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. kid — child
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. date — the fruit
  22. kid — to tease
  23. mine — for digging
  24. date — on the calendar

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