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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. fall — the season
  5. pound — a weight
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wake — a trail
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. face — part of the head
  10. suit — in cards
  11. face — to confront
  12. fall — to drop
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. face — to point toward
  18. suit — to fit

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