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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. fall — to drop
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fall — the season
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. perch — the fish
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. hand — help
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. hand — in cards

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