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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · kick · arm · stand · prune · wake · bay · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mark — a grade
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. prune — to trim
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mark — a trace
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. game — wild animals
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. game — a match
  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