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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 it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. season — in sport
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. march — music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. season — of the year
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. march — the month
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. march — the month
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. content — happy
  24. cold — not warm

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