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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. lie — to recline
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. staff — employees
  9. mug — to rob
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. staff — a stick
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. drill — army training
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. staff — employees
  22. wake — a trail
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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