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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cell — in biology
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. suit — clothes
  8. tube — a container
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. tube — the underground
  11. present — there
  12. suit — in cards
  13. ball — a great time
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. present — a gift
  19. cell — a phone
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. present — the time now
  22. hand — in cards
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. hand — help

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