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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pit — in a race
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pit — a hole
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stand — to bear
  8. firm — decided
  9. wake — a trail
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. snap — to click
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. stand — for spectators

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