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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. plane — a tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wound — an injury
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wake — a trail
  24. safe — out of danger

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