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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pit — in a race
  4. last — final
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mark — a grade
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mark — a trace
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. toast — bread
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pop — soda
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — finally
  24. wake — before a funeral

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