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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pop — to visit
  3. mate — a friend
  4. pop — music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wound — an injury
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mate — a partner
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cap — of ice
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pop — soda
  24. mate — to breed

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