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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. can — to be able to
  9. key — the most important part
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. clip — to cut
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bulb — for light
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bulb — for light
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. perch — the fish
  20. key — in music
  21. clip — a video
  22. can — a tin
  23. clip — for paper
  24. can — a tin

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