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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 116 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: fall · row · pitch · mate · rush · track · wave · safe

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. row — a line
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. track — a path
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fall — to drop
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pitch — completely
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. track — a song
  20. mate — a partner
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fall — the season
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. mate — a friend

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