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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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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: wave · track · bat · safe · sharp · jam · land · spring

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. land — to come down
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. sharp — clever
  7. land — a country
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. track — a path
  10. spring — of water
  11. bat — the animal
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. track — a song
  15. land — ground
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. spring — the season
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. safe — out of danger

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