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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.

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: ruler · safe · ball · band · chip · mouse · wax · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. band — a music group
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. band — a ring
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wax — to grow
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. chip — to eat
  17. season — in sport
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a dance
  24. chip — for betting

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