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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 120 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rock — a stone
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rock — music
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wound — an injury
  24. kick — with a leg

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