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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. ground — crushed
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wax — to grow
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bore — to tire
  9. ground — a position
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bore — to drill
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ground — the earth
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. foot — the bottom

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