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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · wave · stick · safe · hide · mug · land · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. scale — size or range
  4. land — a country
  5. spring — the season
  6. land — ground
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. spring — of water
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mug — a face
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. scale — in music
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. land — to come down
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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