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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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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: safe · can · tube · bore · bat · ball · wave · spell

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. ball — a great time
  4. spell — letters
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bore — to drill
  7. can — a tin
  8. tube — a container
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. spell — magic
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. tube — the underground
  15. spell — a short time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. can — a tin
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bore — to tire
  24. safe — out of danger

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