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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. staff — employees
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. staff — employees
  9. wake — a trail
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. drill — the tool
  14. staff — a stick
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bat — the animal
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. drill — army training
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. chip — to eat
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. chip — for betting

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