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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rash — a series
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. spell — letters
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. spell — a short time
  13. track — a song
  14. cell — in biology
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. spell — magic
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — government
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bear — the animal

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