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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mate — a friend
  5. stand — to bear
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bulb — for light
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. band — a ring
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mate — a partner
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wake — a trail
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. mate — to breed
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. band — a music group
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. leaves — to go away

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