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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. staff — employees
  3. wake — a trail
  4. shower — to wash
  5. staff — employees
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pitch — completely
  10. track — to keep track
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wound — an injury
  13. track — a song
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. shower — rain
  20. wound — an injury
  21. track — a path
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. staff — a stick
  24. scale — in music

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