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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 116 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. snap — to click
  4. staff — employees
  5. dip — to sink
  6. staff — employees
  7. bear — the animal
  8. file — a tool
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wake — a trail
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mark — a grade
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. dip — a sauce

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