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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: wave · safe · wind · lean · fall · cap · mug · ruler

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mug — a cup
  5. fall — the season
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mug — a face
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lean — thin
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. lean — to bend

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