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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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Word bank
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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: drill · bear · wave · safe · degree · rest · object · pitcher

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. object — to protest
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. drill — army training
  9. degree — temperature
  10. rest — what's left
  11. object — a thing
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bear — the animal
  15. degree — an amount
  16. object — an aim
  17. rest — a break
  18. bear — the animal
  19. degree — from a university
  20. drill — the tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wave — with your hand

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