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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. present — the time now
  3. suit — to fit
  4. pop — soda
  5. present — there
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. suit — clothes
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wake — a trail
  17. key — the most important part
  18. present — a gift
  19. row — a line
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pop — music
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pop — to visit
  24. row — a quarrel

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