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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bound — obliged
  3. lean — thin
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wind — moving air
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bound — tied together
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bound — certain
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. board — a committee
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wave — of the sea

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