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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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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: content · mate · pound · wave · last · safe · rule · wind

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wind — moving air
  4. last — final
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rule — government
  8. pound — a weight
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. content — happy
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. content — the amount
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. mate — a partner
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. last — finally
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rule — a law
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. last — to go on
  23. wave — of the sea
  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