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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. wake — a trail
  13. deal — to handle
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. deal — an agreement

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