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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kick — in football
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rush — hurry
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — a trail

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