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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. mark — a grade
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. mark — a trace
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wake — a trail
  7. land — a country
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. swing — in golf
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. swing — music
  15. season — of the year
  16. swing — to play on
  17. foot — a measure
  18. season — in sport
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lean — thin
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. land — ground

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