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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cue — a hint
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bear — the animal
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bear — the animal
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. squash — the sport
  20. key — in music
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. dip — to sink
  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