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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. spring — of water
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. lie — to recline
  15. spring — a coil
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spring — the season
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fork — in a road
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. lie — an untruth

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