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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. object — an aim
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. wake — a trail
  5. object — a thing
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cold — not warm
  9. object — to protest
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. craft — boats
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cold — an illness
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cue — a hint
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. ball — a great time

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