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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fork — in a road
  6. season — of the year
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. cue — for pool
  9. current — of water
  10. fall — the season
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bear — the animal
  13. season — in sport
  14. current — happening now
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fall — to drop
  20. current — electric
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. chair — to sit on

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