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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. last — finally
  4. field — a subject
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bear — the animal
  11. last — to go on
  12. spell — letters
  13. rock — music
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. field — farmland
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bear — the animal
  19. field — for sport
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mark — a trace
  22. spell — magic
  23. last — final
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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