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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 120 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pit — a hole
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mate — a friend
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. content — happy
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bass — low music
  18. content — the amount
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bass — the fish
  24. ball — a great time

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