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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: safe · court · lean · sharp · bark · toast · lash · ball

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. court — of law
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. lean — to bend
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. court — for sport
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. toast — bread
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bark — to shout
  20. ball — a dance
  21. court — of a king
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. sharp — clever
  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