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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. land — ground
  5. dip — to sink
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cue — for pool
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. wax — to grow
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fall — the season
  16. land — a country
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. ball — a dance
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. land — to come down

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