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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 120 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. file — a line of people
  4. board — a committee
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. tube — a container
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. file — a document
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. board — to get on
  17. file — a tool
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. safe — out of danger

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