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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. field — farmland
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. snap — to click
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — for sport
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. stand — to bear
  24. racket — for tennis

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