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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. scale — size or range
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. club — for dancing
  7. suit — clothes
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. spring — a coil
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. club — for golf
  21. scale — in music
  22. club — a group
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — the season

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