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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. degree — an amount
  5. rash — hasty
  6. degree — from a university
  7. rock — music
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rock — a stone
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. last — finally
  14. rash — a series
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. degree — temperature
  24. wave — of the sea

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