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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spring — the season
  8. season — in sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. board — to get on
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. spring — a coil
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. dip — to sink
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. board — a committee
  19. spring — of water
  20. season — of the year
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wave — with your hand

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