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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pop — music
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. staff — employees
  12. pit — a hole
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. spell — letters
  18. saw — the tool
  19. staff — employees
  20. pit — in a race
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. rock — music
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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