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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. saw — the tool
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. fall — the season
  12. rest — a break
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stand — to bear
  22. row — a line
  23. rest — what's left
  24. row — a quarrel

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