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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tube — a container
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bear — the animal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. key — in music
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wave — with your hand

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