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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 124 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. game — a match
  6. wake — a trail
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. saw — the tool
  9. spell — magic
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cue — a hint
  12. saw — the tool
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cue — a signal
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. game — wild animals
  24. fan — a supporter

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