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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mug — to rob
  5. board — a committee
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. board — to get on
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. tube — a container
  10. drill — army training
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. drill — a practice
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mug — a face
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. lean — to bend
  22. drill — the tool
  23. cap — a hat
  24. lean — thin

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