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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. scale — in music
  3. spell — magic
  4. rock — music
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. spell — letters
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. spell — a short time
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. rock — a stone
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. stand — for spectators

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