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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mug — to rob
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mine — for digging
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stock — goods
  10. mug — a face
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stock — shares
  15. ball — a great time
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. staff — employees
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wake — a trail
  24. nail — for a hammer

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