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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 116 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mug — a face
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. tube — the underground
  8. last — finally
  9. ball — a great time
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mug — to rob
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. tube — a container
  15. game — a match
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bass — the fish
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bass — low music
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. lash — to lash out

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