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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. present — there
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. land — ground
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rest — a break
  11. present — the time now
  12. land — a country
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rest — what's left
  16. land — to come down
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. present — a gift
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pitch — completely

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