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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. firm — steady
  5. last — to go on
  6. mate — a partner
  7. firm — a company
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mate — to breed
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. plane — a tool
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. last — finally
  17. squash — to crush
  18. firm — decided
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. net — after costs
  23. mate — a friend
  24. last — final

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