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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rest — what's left
  3. sharp — clever
  4. season — of the year
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rest — what's left
  10. band — a music group
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. plane — a tool
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. date — the fruit
  17. season — in sport
  18. wake — a trail
  19. band — a ring
  20. ball — a great time
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. rest — a break

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