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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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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: leaves · date · board · mark · pop · wake · fall · spell

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pop — to visit
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fall — to drop
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pop — music
  14. mark — a grade
  15. board — to get on
  16. pop — soda
  17. spell — letters
  18. date — the fruit
  19. board — a committee
  20. spell — magic
  21. fall — the season
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. spell — a short time

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