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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bound — certain
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wake — a trail
  9. drill — army training
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. content — happy
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. kick — in football
  14. drill — a practice
  15. content — the amount
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  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