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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wake — a trail
  4. dip — to sink
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — to bear
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. capital — a city
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rest — a break
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rest — what's left
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. capital — money
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. capital — a big letter

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