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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 116 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. wake — a trail
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. hand — help
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. game — a match
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mouse — 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