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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: mate · wake · kick · chest · rock · track · prune · jam

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rock — music
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. chest — of your body
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. track — to keep track
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. track — a path
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. chest — of your body
  19. prune — to trim
  20. kick — in football
  21. rock — a stone
  22. track — a song
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mate — a partner

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