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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. season — in sport
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. spell — letters
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. spell — magic
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pound — a weight
  12. can — a tin
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. season — of the year
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bat — the animal
  19. snap — to click
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. pound — for dogs

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