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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. drill — a practice
  4. lean — to bend
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. drill — army training
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bank — of a river
  10. ground — crushed
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bank — for money
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. drill — the tool
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. ground — a position
  23. lean — thin
  24. wake — a trail

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