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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. current — happening now
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. toast — bread
  7. wake — a trail
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wound — an injury
  10. current — electric
  11. prune — to trim
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. fall — the season
  15. shower — rain
  16. fall — to drop
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fall — to drop
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. shower — to wash
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. current — of water

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