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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. suit — clothes
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. net — after costs
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a line of people
  15. net — in sport
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kick — in football
  18. net — for catching
  19. file — a tool
  20. suit — in cards
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wake — a trail
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. suit — to fit

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