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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: wake · key · sharp · safe · wave · kick · cap · net

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cap — of ice
  3. net — in sport
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wake — a trail
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. kick — in football
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. cap — a lid
  12. key — for a lock
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cap — a hat
  17. key — in music
  18. net — for catching
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. key — the most important part
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. net — after costs

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