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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pop — soda
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mark — a trace
  12. object — an aim
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pop — music
  16. cell — a phone
  17. object — a thing
  18. pop — to visit
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. object — to protest
  24. fork — in a road

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