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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. field — for sport
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. sharp — clever
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. field — a subject
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. drill — the tool
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. field — farmland
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wake — a trail
  24. snap — to click

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