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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mug — a face
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. hand — in cards
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. hand — help
  12. can — a tin
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. mug — a cup
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. mug — to rob

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