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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. ball — a dance
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. ground — a position
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. last — to go on
  17. squash — the sport
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. ground — crushed
  24. safe — a strongbox

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