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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: ball · cabinet · wake · roll · sharp · toast · mate · shower

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. ball — a dance
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mate — a partner
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. roll — a list
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a friend
  17. toast — bread
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wake — a trail
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. sharp — exactly
  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