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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rest — what's left
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. object — an aim
  13. cold — an illness
  14. rest — a break
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cold — not warm
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. court — for sport
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. court — of law
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. court — of a king
  24. bore — gave birth

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