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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 120 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mug — a cup
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cap — a lid
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. wake — a trail
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. lean — to bend
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. lean — thin
  13. mug — to rob
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. row — a line
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mug — a face
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mate — a friend
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pound — a weight

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