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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rock — a stone
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. can — to be able to
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. saw — the tool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. can — a tin
  13. stock — goods
  14. rock — music
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mark — a trace
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stock — shares
  22. can — a tin
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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