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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: present · bound · mate · row · snap · safe · wound · wave

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bound — tied together
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. wound — an injury
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. snap — to click
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. row — a line
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wound — an injury
  15. present — there
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mate — a partner
  19. present — the time now
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. present — a gift
  23. row — to paddle
  24. safe — out of danger

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