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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. season — in sport
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rash — a series
  11. season — of the year
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bass — the fish
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — a safe
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bass — low music

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