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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. spring — a coil
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. can — a tin
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. can — to be able to
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. spring — of water
  13. ball — a dance
  14. spring — the season
  15. staff — employees
  16. can — a tin
  17. hand — help
  18. club — for dancing
  19. race — a contest
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. hand — in cards

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