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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. spell — letters
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. suit — to fit
  6. spell — magic
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lean — thin
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lean — to bend
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. roll — a cake
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. roll — a list
  17. key — the most important part
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. key — in music
  20. row — to paddle
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. row — a line
  23. spell — a short time
  24. roll — on a roll

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