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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wake — a trail
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. wind — moving air
  5. staff — employees
  6. firm — a company
  7. lean — to bend
  8. hand — in cards
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wind — moving air
  12. firm — decided
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. ball — a dance
  15. firm — steady
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. staff — a stick
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. staff — employees
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. lean — thin

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