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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. land — to come down
  3. wake — a trail
  4. land — ground
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mate — a partner
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. land — a country
  12. mate — to breed
  13. present — a gift
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. drill — army training
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mate — a friend
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. drill — a practice
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. arm — part of the body

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