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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: rash · hand · last · court · wave · staff · ball · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rash — hasty
  4. staff — employees
  5. rash — a series
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. hand — help
  9. staff — a stick
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. ball — a great time
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. staff — employees
  22. hand — in cards
  23. last — final
  24. court — for sport

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