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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: mouse · safe · clip · cell · season · firm · roll · ball

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cell — in biology
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ball — a dance
  6. roll — a cake
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. ball — a great time
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. firm — decided
  12. roll — a list
  13. season — of the year
  14. firm — steady
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. firm — a company
  21. clip — to cut
  22. cell — a phone
  23. season — in sport
  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