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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wound — an injury
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mark — a trace
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. face — to point toward
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. deal — to handle
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — a trail

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