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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. game — wild animals
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. wake — a trail
  19. dip — to sink
  20. key — in music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rush — hurry
  24. game — a match

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