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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 116 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 · wake · lean · dip · mouse · present · rule · wind

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. present — there
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. present — a gift
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. dip — to sink
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rule — government
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lean — thin
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rule — a law
  22. present — the time now
  23. wake — a trail
  24. dip — a sauce

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