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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 120 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: safe · cell · wave · wake · mark · mug · cold · content

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. cold — not warm
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. content — happy
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. cold — an illness
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. content — the amount
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mug — to rob
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mark — a trace
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. cell — a phone
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mug — a face

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