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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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 — before a funeral
  2. mark — a trace
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. snap — to click
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mark — a grade
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pitch — completely
  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