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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. present — a gift
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. chair — a leader
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. present — there
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. present — the time now
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. file — a document
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. file — a tool
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mug — a cup
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mug — a face

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