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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: wake · hide · snap · ball · rush · bowl · bay · content

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. snap — to click
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. content — happy
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. content — the amount
  20. rush — hurry
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. ball — a great time
  24. hide — animal skin

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