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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. net — in sport
  4. foot — a measure
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rush — hurry
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. deal — to handle
  21. game — a match
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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