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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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468
Word bank
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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. spring — a coil
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. spring — of water
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. track — a path
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. track — to keep track
  15. spring — the season
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. land — a country
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. land — ground
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. track — a song

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