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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 116 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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ground — crushed
  11. saw — the tool
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ground — a position
  24. mouse — the animal

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