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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mate — a partner
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. shower — rain
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wind — moving air
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. wake — a trail

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