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

Word bank: cold · safe · bowl · foot · fork · ball · mate · wax

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mate — to breed
  19. cold — not warm
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mate — a friend
  24. cold — an illness

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