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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wake — a trail
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rock — music
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bound — certain
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bound — obliged
  15. tube — the underground
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bound — tied together

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