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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rock — music
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. suit — clothes
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. cold — not warm
  21. squash — the sport
  22. suit — in cards
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rock — a stone

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