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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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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: temple · land · safe · object · lean · kid · wave · dip

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lean — to bend
  6. land — to come down
  7. kid — child
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. object — to protest
  11. land — a country
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. lean — thin
  21. land — ground
  22. kid — to tease
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wave — with your hand

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