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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 120 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wound — an injury
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. track — a path
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rest — what's left
  15. game — a match
  16. track — a song
  17. rest — a break
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rest — what's left
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pit — in a race

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