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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. content — the amount
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stand — to bear
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. content — happy
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fine — all right
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fine — high quality
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mine — belonging to me

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