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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. file — a document
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rush — hurry
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. rest — what's left
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spell — a short time
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. file — a line of people
  18. spell — magic
  19. stem — to come from
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. spell — letters
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. file — a tool

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