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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
468
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 · wave · mate · roll · safe · rest · last · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mate — a partner
  3. last — to go on
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rash — a series
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. roll — a cake
  15. last — final
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rest — what's left
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. rest — what's left
  21. last — finally
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rest — a break

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