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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. present — the time now
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. present — there
  5. stock — goods
  6. vault — a safe
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wound — an injury
  9. present — a gift
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. cold — an illness
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. stock — shares
  22. cold — not warm
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. mark — a trace

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