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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. present — a gift
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. kick — in football
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rock — a stone
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. present — there
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. present — the time now
  16. foot — a measure
  17. rock — music
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mug — a face
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wake — a trail
  24. mug — a cup

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