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

Word bank: hide · wave · fork · swing · march · fall · safe · tube

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  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 — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. march — music
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fall — to drop
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. tube — a container
  10. swing — music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. swing — in golf
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fall — the season
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. swing — to play on
  23. safe — out of danger
  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