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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. wake — a trail
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. clip — for paper
  7. staff — employees
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. ball — a great time
  12. clip — to cut
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. suit — clothes
  16. staff — employees
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. clip — a video
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. suit — to fit
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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