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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. spring — of water
  3. roll — a list
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. roll — a cake
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mark — a grade
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. tear — from crying
  19. staff — employees
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mark — a trace

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