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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wake — a trail
  9. scale — in music
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mark — a trace
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mate — to breed

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