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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ball — a great time
  14. game — a match
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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