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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rock — a stone
  15. band — a ring
  16. dip — to sink
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. date — the fruit
  20. mine — for digging
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. band — a music group
  24. rock — music

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