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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. pop — soda
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wake — a trail
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. craft — boats
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. spell — letters
  15. pop — music
  16. spell — a short time
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. spell — magic
  21. fork — in a road
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. chair — a leader

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