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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: club · wave · chip · mine · safe · cold · rest · roll

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. chip — to eat
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mine — for digging
  11. club — for golf
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rest — a break
  15. roll — a cake
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — not warm
  18. roll — a list
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. club — a group
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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