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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. roll — a list
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ball — a dance
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. current — of water
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. ball — a great time
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. current — happening now
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. roll — a cake
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. current — electric
  19. sharp — clever
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. saw — the tool

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