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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 124 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. clip — to cut
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. clip — for paper
  8. prune — to trim
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mark — a grade
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. face — to confront
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. face — part of the head
  19. clip — a video
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. scale — size or range
  23. face — to point toward
  24. last — to go on

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