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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. saw — the tool
  4. field — farmland
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. field — for sport
  14. stand — to bear
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. field — a subject
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. saw — 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