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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mate — a partner
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. land — to come down
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pop — music
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pop — soda
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. land — a country
  22. land — ground
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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