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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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. mouse — for a computer
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. march — the month
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. march — the month
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. tube — a container
  12. bass — low music
  13. pop — music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pop — to visit
  21. march — music
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pop — soda

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