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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. snap — to click
  14. row — to paddle
  15. stock — goods
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stock — shares
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. row — a line
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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