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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. rash — hasty
  5. last — to go on
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rest — what's left
  9. scale — in music
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. last — finally
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rest — what's left
  14. last — final
  15. rest — a break
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rash — a series
  23. spring — of water
  24. nail — for a hammer

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