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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 · last · land · current · mouse · wave · safe · mark

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. land — a country
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. current — electric
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. last — finally
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. last — to go on
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. last — final
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. land — to come down

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