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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 116 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. current — happening now
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. current — electric
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mate — a friend
  17. current — of water
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rest — a break
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. racket — a loud noise

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