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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bank — for money
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. date — the fruit
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. mug — a cup
  10. craft — boats
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rash — a series
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bat — the animal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bank — for money
  21. mug — a face
  22. bank — of a river
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rash — on the skin

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