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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bound — certain
  4. mug — a face
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bound — obliged
  8. object — a thing
  9. tube — the underground
  10. object — an aim
  11. tube — a container
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. object — to protest
  15. mug — a cup
  16. file — a document
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. file — a tool
  22. ball — a great time
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wave — with your hand

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