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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wake — a trail
  5. drill — the tool
  6. kick — in football
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. present — there
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. drill — a practice
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. net — for catching
  15. suit — to fit
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. chair — a leader
  20. suit — clothes
  21. present — the time now
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. present — a gift
  24. drill — army training

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