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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. roll — a list
  6. object — to protest
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. tube — the underground
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cap — a lid
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mug — a face
  15. roll — a cake
  16. object — an aim
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. object — a thing
  19. mug — to rob
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. tube — a container
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. cap — of ice

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