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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. board — a committee
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mine — for digging
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. last — finally
  14. deal — to handle
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. last — to go on
  20. bear — the animal
  21. last — final
  22. mark — a trace
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mark — to pay attention

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