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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 · safe · race · prune · wave · mate · staff · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. staff — employees
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mate — a friend
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. race — the arms race
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. staff — a stick
  14. race — a contest
  15. staff — employees
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mate — to breed
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. race — humankind
  20. mate — a partner
  21. spring — the season
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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