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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: fall · pit · safe · tear · roll · pitcher · kid · wave

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pit — a hole
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tear — to rip
  11. fall — the season
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. roll — a list
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fall — to drop
  21. tear — from crying
  22. roll — a cake
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. fall — to drop

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