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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: jam · pop · wave · hand · wound · plane · ground · safe

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hand — in cards
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ground — crushed
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wound — an injury
  16. hand — help
  17. pop — to visit
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. pop — music
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pop — soda

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