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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. scale — size or range
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rule — government
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rash — a series
  12. scale — in music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wake — a trail
  17. kick — in football
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rule — a law
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rash — hasty

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