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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. ball — a great time
  8. track — a path
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. last — finally
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. last — to go on
  13. mug — a face
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. last — final
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wake — a trail
  19. lean — to bend
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lean — thin
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. ball — a dance
  24. lean — to rest against

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