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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. march — the month
  5. snap — to click
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bass — the fish
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. track — a song
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wake — a trail
  12. track — to keep track
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bass — low music
  15. fine — all right
  16. march — music
  17. track — a path
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bound — certain
  20. fine — high quality
  21. march — the month
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mug — to rob

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