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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rock — music
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. can — a tin
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wake — a trail
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fine — high quality
  16. can — a tin
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mark — a grade

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