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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. last — finally
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. firm — decided
  7. last — to go on
  8. band — a music group
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. firm — steady
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. last — final
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. firm — a company
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wake — a trail
  23. band — a ring
  24. kick — in football

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