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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · content · mine · wake · hide · toast · prune · ball

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ground — a position
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. prune — to trim
  8. content — the amount
  9. ball — a dance
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ball — a great time
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. content — happy
  19. toast — bread
  20. ground — the earth
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mine — for digging
  24. ground — crushed

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