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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mark — a grade
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bass — low music
  10. present — there
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. present — a gift
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mate — a friend
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mate — to breed
  24. band — a music group

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