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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 120 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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bass — low music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rule — government
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. bass — the fish
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. cue — a hint
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wake — a trail
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rule — a law
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ball — a great time
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. hide — to keep secret

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