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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mug — a cup
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. key — the most important part
  10. last — finally
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. mug — to rob
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mug — a face
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wake — a trail
  18. last — to go on
  19. key — in music
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. last — final
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mine — for digging

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