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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. race — a contest
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pound — a weight
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. staff — a stick
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wind — moving air
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. staff — employees
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wind — moving air
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — magic
  20. race — humankind
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. staff — employees

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