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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: wave · safe · spring · swing · dip · stand · pit · mate

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mate — a friend
  3. swing — to play on
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mate — a partner
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pit — a hole
  14. swing — music
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. stand — to bear
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. mate — to breed
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. spring — of water

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