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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: mark · rash · season · pop · wake · mate · net · lean

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pop — to visit
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. season — in sport
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rash — a series
  11. season — of the year
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mate — to breed
  20. net — in sport
  21. lean — thin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. season — to add flavour

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