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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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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 · clip · wave · band · game · deal · ball · rule

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. game — wild animals
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. game — a match
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — to cut
  8. band — a ring
  9. rule — a law
  10. band — a music group
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. deal — to handle
  13. clip — a video
  14. ball — a dance
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. ball — a great time
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. rule — government

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