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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pit — a hole
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mark — a trace
  11. suit — in cards
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. suit — to fit
  14. march — the month
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. march — the month
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. march — music
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mark — a grade
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ball — a round shape

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