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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. file — a tool
  3. key — for a lock
  4. ball — a dance
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. track — a path
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. file — a line of people
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. track — a song
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. track — to keep track
  23. file — a document
  24. cue — a signal

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