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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. march — the month
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mate — to breed
  7. march — the month
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. stand — to bear
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mate — a partner
  15. plane — a tool
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rash — a series
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. rash — hasty
  24. march — music

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