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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. board — a committee
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mark — a grade
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. fork — in a road
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wake — a trail
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. board — to get on
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. chest — a box
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. chest — of your body

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