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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 116 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. land — to come down
  4. bank — for money
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. land — ground
  10. fall — the season
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. game — a match
  18. game — wild animals
  19. land — a country
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wax — to grow
  24. ball — a great time

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