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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. track — a path
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. track — a song
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. track — to keep track
  12. chip — for betting
  13. squash — to crush
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wake — a trail
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. squash — the sport
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. chip — to eat
  24. leaves — to go away

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