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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. track — a song
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. drill — army training
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. swing — music
  15. track — a path
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. swing — to play on
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. swing — in golf
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lie — to recline
  23. track — to keep track
  24. drill — the tool

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