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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. spell — letters
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. mug — to rob
  7. current — happening now
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mug — a face
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. board — to get on
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. current — electric
  14. wake — a trail
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. spell — a short time
  17. toast — bread
  18. current — of water
  19. mug — a cup
  20. board — a committee
  21. spell — magic
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

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