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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 · face · bat · prune · current · firm · safe · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. firm — decided
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. land — ground
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. current — of water
  13. bat — the animal
  14. firm — a company
  15. prune — to trim
  16. land — a country
  17. face — to confront
  18. prune — to trim
  19. current — electric
  20. face — part of the head
  21. current — happening now
  22. face — to point toward
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. firm — steady

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