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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: game · mug · tear · ball · wake · spring · land · safe

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. tear — to rip
  4. wake — a trail
  5. tear — from crying
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. spring — a coil
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. land — to come down
  11. game — a match
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spring — of water
  14. game — wild animals
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. tear — from crying
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. spring — the season
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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