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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. clip — to cut
  5. pop — soda
  6. court — of a king
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. clip — a video
  10. can — a tin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. can — a tin
  16. court — for sport
  17. can — to be able to
  18. court — of law
  19. pop — music
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pop — to visit
  22. clip — for paper
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lean — thin

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