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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. face — to point toward
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wound — an injury
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. prune — to trim
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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