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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 120 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. rule — a law
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — the animal
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. object — a thing
  20. dip — to sink
  21. fork — in a road
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rule — government
  24. safe — a strongbox

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