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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cold — an illness
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pit — in a race
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pit — a hole
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. stock — goods
  14. stand — to bear
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chest — a box
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stock — shares
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cold — not warm
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. stand — on your feet

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