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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 116 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. court — of law
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — an illness
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. court — for sport
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. court — of a king
  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