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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. suit — in cards
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wake — a trail
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. content — happy
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. content — the amount
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. suit — clothes
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pitch — completely
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. march — 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