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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. tear — to rip
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. net — for catching
  6. fall — to drop
  7. net — after costs
  8. mug — a face
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. net — in sport
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. wake — a trail
  15. fall — the season
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. fall — to drop
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. game — a match
  23. tear — from crying
  24. toast — bread

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