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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. court — of law
  9. plane — a tool
  10. court — for sport
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cell — a phone
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mark — a grade
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. court — of a king
  24. perch — for a bird

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