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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. cell — in biology
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. plane — a tool
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. game — a match
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stand — for spectators
  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