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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rash — a series
  5. lean — to bend
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bank — for money
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. ball — a great time
  15. lean — thin
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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