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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. toast — bread
  5. season — of the year
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bark — to shout
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. current — of water
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. current — happening now
  21. season — in sport
  22. current — electric
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. mate — to breed

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