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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. degree — from a university
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. degree — an amount
  11. can — a tin
  12. band — a ring
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rest — what's left
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rest — a break
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stand — to bear
  23. degree — temperature
  24. can — a tin

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