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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 116 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. present — there
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. spring — a coil
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mark — a grade
  9. spring — of water
  10. drill — army training
  11. present — the time now
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mark — a trace
  14. spring — the season
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. present — a gift
  18. ball — a dance

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