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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 124 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stock — goods
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. degree — temperature
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stock — shares
  19. degree — an amount
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. degree — from a university
  24. march — the month

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