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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. ball — a dance
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. season — of the year
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. vault — a safe
  12. chip — to eat
  13. season — in sport
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rest — what's left
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rest — a break
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. ball — a great time
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. safe — a strongbox

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