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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. last — to go on
  3. fall — the season
  4. firm — a company
  5. fall — to drop
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ball — a great time
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. firm — steady
  14. last — final
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. saw — the tool
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. firm — decided
  20. wake — a trail
  21. last — finally
  22. saw — the tool
  23. perch — the fish
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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