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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.

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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: wave · spring · face · prune · chair · safe · squash · ball

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. squash — to crush
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. prune — to trim
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. face — part of the head
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. face — to point toward
  11. spring — the season
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. squash — the sport
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chair — a leader
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. ball — a great time
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. face — to confront
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. spring — a coil
  24. ball — a dance

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