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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. fall — the season
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bass — low music
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. toast — bread
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. file — a line of people
  12. fall — to drop
  13. court — of a king
  14. file — a document
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. file — a tool
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. rock — music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rock — to move gently

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