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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. cold — not warm
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cold — an illness
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. ground — crushed
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ground — a position
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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