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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pit — in a race
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. march — the month
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chest — a box
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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