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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. clip — for paper
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. perch — the fish
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chest — a box
  15. rock — music
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rock — a stone
  22. chest — of your body
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — in a road

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