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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wound — an injury
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. capital — money
  13. stand — to bear
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wound — an injury
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. capital — a city
  23. wake — a trail
  24. sharp — clever

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