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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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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: march · safe · mouse · bay · ball · tear · bowl · wake

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. march — the month
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wake — a trail
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. march — the month
  18. tear — to rip
  19. march — music
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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