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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rest — a break
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. wake — a trail
  7. file — a line of people
  8. last — to go on
  9. mine — for digging
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. file — a document
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. last — finally
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. foot — a measure
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. last — final
  24. file — a tool

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