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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pop — music
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pop — soda
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pop — to visit
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitch — completely

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