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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 116 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. root — of a plant
  4. drill — a practice
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. drill — army training
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. march — music
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. march — the month
  13. drill — the tool
  14. root — the cause
  15. ball — a great time
  16. root — of a word
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. sharp — clever
  23. ball — a dance
  24. march — the month

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