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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. band — a ring
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. band — a music group
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. mug — a face
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mug — to rob
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mate — to breed

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