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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. suit — to fit
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bank — of a river
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. suit — clothes
  12. shower — to wash
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bank — for money
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. shower — rain
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. chest — a box
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bank — for money
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. suit — in cards

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