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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 116 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rock — a stone
  5. spell — a short time
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rule — a law
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. wake — a trail
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. kid — to tease
  16. rule — government
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. last — finally
  21. kid — child
  22. spell — magic
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rock — music

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