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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mark — a grade
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mate — a partner
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wind — moving air
  24. squash — the vegetable

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