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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spring — of water
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. spring — the season
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. object — to protest
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. object — an aim
  19. spring — a coil
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. object — a thing
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fan — a supporter

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