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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mate — a partner
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mate — to breed
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. pit — in a race
  10. present — the time now
  11. band — a ring
  12. spell — letters
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. chair — a leader
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. present — there
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mate — a friend
  22. present — a gift
  23. band — a music group
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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