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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wound — an injury
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. season — of the year
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. season — in sport
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. squash — to crush
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ground — a position
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ground — the earth
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. squash — the sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. temple — a place of worship

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