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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. suit — in cards
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. shower — to wash
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. shower — rain
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rest — what's left
  19. squash — to crush
  20. cold — not warm
  21. suit — to fit
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cold — an illness
  24. wake — a trail

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