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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bank — for money
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. roll — a list
  9. season — of the year
  10. last — final
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. last — finally
  13. roll — a cake
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. last — to go on
  17. season — in sport
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. snap — to click
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bank — for money
  24. lash — an eyelash

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