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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. toast — bread
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. cell — a phone
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. craft — boats
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. chest — a box
  17. mate — a friend
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cell — in biology
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mate — to breed
  24. toast — the most admired

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