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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. 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. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. kick — in football
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. present — a gift
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. chip — to eat
  18. present — the time now
  19. bark — to shout
  20. present — there
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. cell — a phone
  23. chip — for betting
  24. 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