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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  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 — a strongbox
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. ball — a great time
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a line of people
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. roll — a list
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. file — a tool
  23. roll — a cake
  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