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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wake — a trail
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. swing — to play on
  7. band — a music group
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. band — a ring
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. swing — in golf
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. swing — music
  23. ball — a dance
  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