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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · chest · racket · nail · safe · wave

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chest — of your body
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. chest — of your body
  8. firm — steady
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chest — a box
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided

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