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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lean — thin
  7. field — farmland
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. field — a subject
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rash — a series
  13. bound — obliged
  14. field — for sport
  15. lean — to bend
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rest — what's left
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rash — hasty
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bound — certain
  24. rest — a break

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