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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.

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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: pit · wave · last · season · bore · safe · rock · kid

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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. kid — to tease
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. season — in sport
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. last — final
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rock — music
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pit — in a race
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. season — of the year
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. kid — child
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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