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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. spring — a coil
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. ground — the earth
  6. last — final
  7. rest — a break
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spring — of water
  11. last — finally
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fine — all right
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. last — to go on
  18. ground — crushed
  19. spring — the season
  20. ground — a position
  21. chip — to eat
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. chip — for betting
  24. wake — a trail

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