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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. clip — for paper
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. chip — for betting
  6. track — to keep track
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. suit — to fit
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. clip — a video
  12. toast — bread
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. clip — to cut
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. suit — clothes
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. suit — in cards
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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