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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. fine — high quality
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. spell — letters
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. lean — to bend
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pitch — completely
  17. lean — thin
  18. wake — a trail
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. spell — magic
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. leaves — to go away

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