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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: court · season · kick · wave · drill · land · safe · wound

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. land — to come down
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. drill — the tool
  6. season — in sport
  7. wound — an injury
  8. court — for sport
  9. wound — an injury
  10. court — of law
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. court — of a king
  13. drill — army training
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. land — ground
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. land — a country
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. season — of the year
  20. drill — a practice
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. season — to add flavour

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