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

Word bank: ball · hand · toast · cap · mate · ruler · cue · wake

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. toast — bread
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. hand — help
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cue — a hint
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cue — for pool
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. cue — a signal
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ball — a great time
  14. hand — in cards
  15. wake — a trail
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mate — a friend
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a lid
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. cap — a hat

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