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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. race — a contest
  4. spell — magic
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. spell — letters
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mug — to rob
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rush — hurry
  23. race — humankind
  24. mouse — for a computer

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