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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mug — a cup
  10. cold — not warm
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rock — music
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cold — an illness
  15. vault — a safe
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mug — to rob
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. racket — for tennis

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