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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. club — for golf
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wind — moving air
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. track — a path
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cell — a phone
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. track — a song
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. club — a group
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wake — a trail

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