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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. court — for sport
  9. staff — employees
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. row — a line
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bear — the animal

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