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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. game — a match
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. spell — a short time
  5. charge — a price
  6. dip — to sink
  7. ball — a great time
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. charge — in control
  13. clip — a video
  14. game — wild animals
  15. clip — for paper
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. clip — to cut
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. spell — letters
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. charge — electricity
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spell — magic

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