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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wake — a trail
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. current — electric
  11. present — there
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. present — a gift
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mark — a trace
  16. present — the time now
  17. fall — to drop
  18. current — of water
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wound — an injury
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fall — the season
  24. current — happening now

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