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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pit — a hole
  5. spell — a short time
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. board — a committee
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. mark — a trace
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — to get on
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wake — a trail
  24. snap — to click

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