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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 124 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cold — not warm
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. cold — an illness
  7. mark — a grade
  8. spring — of water
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. race — a contest
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mark — a trace
  13. race — humankind
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rule — government
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. spring — the season
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. spring — a coil

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