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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fine — high quality
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. fine — all right
  8. tube — the underground
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. ball — a great time
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. tube — a container
  14. wake — a trail
  15. snap — to click
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wake — before a funeral

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