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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · object · wound · safe · pitcher · march · lash · dip

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. ball — a great time
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. object — an aim
  12. ball — a dance
  13. march — the month
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. march — music
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — to protest
  23. wound — an injury
  24. march — the month

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