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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. fall — to drop
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mark — a trace
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. current — of water
  13. row — a line
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ground — a position
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ground — the earth
  18. fall — the season
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mark — a grade
  22. ground — crushed
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. wake — a trail

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