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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. season — of the year
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mark — a trace
  8. roll — a cake
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. season — in sport
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. roll — a list
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. plane — a tool
  22. wake — a trail
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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