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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. last — final
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. net — for catching
  7. season — of the year
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pass — a permit
  10. net — after costs
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. last — to go on
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. season — in sport
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. last — finally
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. net — in sport

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