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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mate — a friend
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bass — the fish
  7. hand — in cards
  8. snap — to click
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. tube — a container
  12. mate — to breed
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. tube — the underground
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bass — low music
  18. present — there
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. present — a gift
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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