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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: kid · safe · wax · tear · board · squash · ball · wave

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — to tease
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. squash — the sport
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. ball — a dance
  14. board — to get on
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. squash — to crush
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ball — a great time
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wax — to grow

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