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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 116 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. spell — magic
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. spell — a short time
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. deal — to handle
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cue — for pool
  11. tear — from crying
  12. spell — letters
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. ball — a great time
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. cue — a signal
  17. dip — to sink
  18. band — a music group
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cue — a hint
  23. band — a ring
  24. wake — a trail

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