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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wind — moving air
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. date — the fruit
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. race — humankind
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. race — the arms race
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. race — a contest
  18. wind — moving air
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a committee
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. ruler — for measuring

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