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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: cold · prune · object · rest · ball · board · safe · rush

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. object — to protest
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rush — hurry
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cold — not warm
  9. object — an aim
  10. cold — an illness
  11. prune — to trim
  12. board — to get on
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rest — a break
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. ball — a dance
  19. object — a thing
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. board — a committee
  22. rest — what's left
  23. prune — to trim
  24. safe — a strongbox

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