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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. hand — in cards
  3. track — a song
  4. ball — a dance
  5. spell — magic
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stand — to bear
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. track — a path
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rock — music
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. ball — a great time
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. spell — letters
  24. hand — help

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