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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: toast · kick · track · wave · mark · mine · firm · safe

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. track — a path
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. firm — a company
  5. mark — a grade
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. toast — bread
  10. track — a song
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. firm — steady
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. kick — in football
  22. mine — for digging
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. firm — decided

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