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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. rash — hasty
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rest — a break
  9. rash — a series
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. saw — the tool
  13. suit — clothes
  14. last — to go on
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rest — what's left
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. last — final
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mark — a grade
  22. rest — what's left
  23. saw — the tool
  24. last — finally

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