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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. track — a song
  2. rest — what's left
  3. can — a tin
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — a coil
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rest — a break
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — the season
  18. rest — what's left
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. can — to be able to
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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