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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fall — to drop
  5. staff — employees
  6. season — of the year
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. present — there
  12. season — in sport
  13. fall — the season
  14. present — a gift
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. cell — a phone
  17. present — the time now
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. staff — a stick
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. row — a line
  24. staff — employees

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