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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 120 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bore — to tire
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wake — a trail
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. face — to confront
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. firm — a company
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ball — a dance
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. face — part of the head
  19. ball — a great time
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. face — to point toward
  24. coach — a trainer

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