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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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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: rock · mouse · ball · cell · wave · safe · straw · kick

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cell — a phone
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cell — in biology
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wave — with your hand
  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