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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ball — a great time
  4. spell — magic
  5. hand — in cards
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bass — low music
  11. spell — a short time
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bass — the fish
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. band — a music group
  20. bore — to tire
  21. spell — letters
  22. band — a ring
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. safe — a strongbox

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