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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. fall — the season
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. march — the month
  6. rock — a stone
  7. suit — clothes
  8. march — music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rest — what's left
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bound — tied together
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. march — the month
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rock — music
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rock — to move gently

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