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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. track — a path
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cold — not warm
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. track — a song
  10. season — in sport
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hand — in cards
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wound — an injury
  15. season — of the year
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cold — an illness
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. hand — help
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wound — an injury
  24. track — to keep track

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