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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. clip — for paper
  3. spell — magic
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. clip — to cut
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spell — letters
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cell — in biology
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mate — to breed
  17. spell — a short time
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — a friend
  20. clip — a video
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. cell — a phone
  24. ball — a dance

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