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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. spell — magic
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bass — the fish
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bass — low music
  12. staff — employees
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. tube — the underground
  15. staff — employees
  16. spell — letters
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wound — an injury
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. tube — a container
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wake — before a funeral

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