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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rock — a stone
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. roll — a list
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pass — a permit
  11. roll — a cake
  12. drill — army training
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. drill — a practice
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wake — a trail
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. rock — music
  23. game — a match
  24. drill — the tool

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