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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. cell — in biology
  3. fine — all right
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bore — to tire
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. staff — employees
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. staff — employees
  24. bore — to drill

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