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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. season — of the year
  3. band — a music group
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitch — completely
  6. last — finally
  7. season — in sport
  8. swing — in golf
  9. wake — a trail
  10. band — a ring
  11. swing — music
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. last — final
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. swing — to play on
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. last — to go on
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. snap — to click
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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