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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wake — a trail
  4. kick — in football
  5. band — a ring
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pitch — completely
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cell — a phone
  19. season — in sport
  20. cell — in biology
  21. season — of the year
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. kick — a thrill

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