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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. squash — the sport
  3. mug — a cup
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mug — a face
  6. spell — a short time
  7. track — a path
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mug — to rob
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. track — to keep track
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. squash — to crush
  24. track — a song

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