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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. pop — to visit
  3. row — a line
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. kick — in football
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lie — to recline
  9. ball — a dance
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pop — soda
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. ball — a great time
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. wax — to grow
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pop — music
  22. row — to paddle
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. kick — a thrill

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