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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. game — a match
  3. ball — a great time
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lean — to bend
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ball — a dance
  10. lean — thin
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mark — a trace
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. hand — help
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mark — a grade
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. hand — part of the body

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