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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 116 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wax — to grow
  4. press — to push
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. last — final
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. staff — employees
  11. ball — a dance
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. press — newspapers
  14. staff — a stick
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. press — a publisher
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — finally
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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