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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. band — a ring
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. land — a country
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. band — a music group
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. land — to come down
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. land — ground
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lie — to recline

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