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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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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 · wake · club · arm · lie · capital · safe · kick

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kick — in football
  7. lie — to recline
  8. capital — money
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — for golf
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. club — a group
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. capital — a city
  22. wake — a trail
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. capital — a big letter

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