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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mark — a grade
  4. march — the month
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. toast — bread
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. spring — the season
  9. march — the month
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rock — a stone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. march — music
  20. rock — music
  21. mark — a trace
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. spring — of water

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