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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. last — finally
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mug — to rob
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. prune — to trim
  9. snap — to click
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. prune — to trim
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. deal — to handle
  17. last — final
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — a cup
  23. last — to go on
  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