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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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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. face — part of the head
  4. key — in music
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. key — the most important part
  7. fall — the season
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. key — for a lock
  10. face — to confront
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. face — to point toward
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fall — to drop
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fall — to drop

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