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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.

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: track · mouse · last · tear · ball · spring · safe · fall

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spring — of water
  6. last — to go on
  7. spring — a coil
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. track — to keep track
  20. spring — the season
  21. tear — to rip
  22. last — final
  23. tear — from crying
  24. last — finally

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