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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. scale — in music
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wake — a trail
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mark — a trace
  8. drill — army training
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ball — a dance
  11. drill — the tool
  12. ball — a great time
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. scale — size or range
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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