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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. plane — a tool
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. track — to keep track
  17. spring — the season
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rock — music
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. staff — employees

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