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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rest — a break
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. staff — employees
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. bat — the animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bear — the animal
  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