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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. staff — employees
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. cell — a phone
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. staff — employees
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. file — a tool
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. file — a line of people
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. file — a document
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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