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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 120 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. field — a subject
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. field — farmland
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. field — for sport
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wind — moving air

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