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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. tube — the underground
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wake — a trail
  7. tube — a container
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. band — a ring
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. firm — decided
  16. staff — employees
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. firm — a company
  21. staff — employees
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. band — a music group
  24. firm — steady

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