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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 120 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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. staff — a stick
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. land — a country
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rock — music
  8. wake — a trail
  9. land — ground
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. foot — a measure
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rash — a series
  22. land — to come down
  23. prune — to trim
  24. coach — a trainer

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