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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. march — the month
  5. last — to go on
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. last — final
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. march — the month
  14. cue — for pool
  15. march — music
  16. board — to get on
  17. cue — a hint
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. last — finally
  21. saw — the tool
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cue — a signal

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