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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. club — for dancing
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mate — a friend
  5. club — for golf
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. present — a gift
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. plane — a tool
  14. present — there
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. club — a group
  19. present — the time now
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. leaves — to go away

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