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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rest — a break
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rest — what's left
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bank — for money
  8. can — a tin
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. spell — letters
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rest — what's left
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bank — for money
  17. ball — a dance
  18. spell — magic
  19. wake — a trail
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bank — of a river

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