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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. date — the fruit
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ball — a great time
  8. track — to keep track
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. track — a path
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. shower — to wash
  13. staff — a stick
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. staff — employees
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wound — an injury
  18. tube — a container
  19. staff — employees
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. shower — rain
  22. track — a song
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. date — on the calendar

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