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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · wound · bay · march · club · face · mug · leaves

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mug — a face
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wake — a trail
  5. club — for dancing
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. wound — an injury
  14. march — the month
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. mug — a cup
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. club — a group
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. club — for golf
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mug — to rob

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