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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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Word bank
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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. race — a contest
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. race — humankind
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. track — a path
  23. race — the arms race
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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