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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: last · net · wake · nail · wound · ball · land · safe

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. net — after costs
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. ball — a great time
  7. last — to go on
  8. net — for catching
  9. land — a country
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. land — to come down
  16. net — in sport
  17. land — ground
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ball — a dance
  21. last — final
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. last — finally

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