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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. pop — to visit
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pop — soda
  7. season — of the year
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pop — music
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. season — in sport
  15. cold — not warm
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cold — an illness
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. present — a gift
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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