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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rest — a break
  5. wake — a trail
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. ball — a great time
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mine — for digging
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rest — what's left
  19. vault — a safe
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rest — what's left
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — before a funeral

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