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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mark — a grade
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cell — in biology
  11. stock — goods
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cell — a phone
  15. stand — to bear
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stock — shares
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. perch — the fish

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