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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 116 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. staff — employees
  5. march — the month
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. march — the month
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. season — in sport
  15. deal — to handle
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lean — thin
  18. staff — employees
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lean — to bend
  22. season — of the year
  23. staff — a stick
  24. march — music

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