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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cell — in biology
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. cell — a phone
  19. mate — to breed
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. racket — for tennis

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