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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. spell — magic
  4. mine — for digging
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. face — to point toward
  7. cue — for pool
  8. spell — letters
  9. staff — a stick
  10. wake — a trail
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. face — to confront
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. face — part of the head

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