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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 116 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wake — a trail
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lean — to bend
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lean — thin
  9. ball — a dance
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mug — a face
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. spring — of water
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. snap — to click
  24. lean — to rest against

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