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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. branch — a division
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pound — a weight
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. kid — to tease
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. kid — child
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pop — soda
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pop — music

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