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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rush — hurry
  6. ball — a dance
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. kid — child
  13. pop — music
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pop — to visit
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pop — soda
  18. kid — to tease
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. snap — to click
  22. wake — a trail
  23. ball — a great time
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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