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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. cap — of ice
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cap — a lid
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. march — music
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. march — the month
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. wake — a trail
  13. chair — a leader
  14. cap — a hat
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. object — to protest
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. march — the month
  21. object — an aim
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. object — a thing
  24. plane — an aircraft

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