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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mine — for digging
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. season — in sport
  5. face — to confront
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. track — a song
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. track — a path
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. track — to keep track
  18. season — of the year
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wake — a trail
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mine — an explosive

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