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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. suit — to fit
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wake — a trail
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. kick — in football
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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