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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. band — a ring
  9. suit — clothes
  10. face — to confront
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. snap — to click
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bound — obliged
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. band — a music group
  23. face — part of the head
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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