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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mate — to breed
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bore — to drill
  7. mate — a friend
  8. club — for dancing
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. season — of the year
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. club — a group
  14. band — a ring
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mate — a partner
  21. band — a music group
  22. season — in sport
  23. ball — a dance
  24. club — for golf

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