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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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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: hide · hand · ball · key · drill · roll · bear · wake

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. key — for a lock
  4. hand — in cards
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bear — the animal
  8. drill — army training
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. ball — a dance
  11. hand — help
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. key — in music
  14. roll — a list
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wake — a trail
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. drill — a practice
  19. key — the most important part
  20. drill — the tool
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bear — the animal
  24. roll — a cake

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