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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 124 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pit — in a race
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rule — government
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rule — a law
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. charge — a price
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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