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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. scale — size or range
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. scale — in music
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rule — a law
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pop — music
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mark — a grade
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wake — a trail
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pop — soda
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pop — to visit
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rule — government

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