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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. net — in sport
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. net — after costs
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mug — a face
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mug — to rob
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wake — a trail
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. net — for catching
  22. row — a line
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wound — an injury

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