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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rock — music
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pop — to visit
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pop — soda
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pop — music
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. dip — to sink
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bear — the animal

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