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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. file — a document
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cell — a phone
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. safe — out of danger

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