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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. key — in music
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pop — soda
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pop — music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pop — to visit
  24. fall — the season

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