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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · field · pitch · spring · lie · firm · wave · rash

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. firm — a company
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rash — a series
  10. field — farmland
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. field — a subject
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. field — for sport
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. spring — a coil
  20. firm — decided
  21. rash — hasty
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. lie — an untruth
  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