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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 116 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: wake · mate · pit · lean · mark · board · present · wound

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lean — thin
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. present — there
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wake — a trail
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. board — a committee
  17. wound — an injury
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. board — to get on
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. pit — a hole
  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