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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. wake — a trail
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. ball — a dance
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. net — in sport
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. net — after costs
  13. ball — a great time
  14. can — a tin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chair — a leader
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. net — for catching
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. can — a tin
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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