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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. 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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pop — soda
  6. scale — size or range
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pop — to visit
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. scale — in music
  15. pop — music
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. 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