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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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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: fall · wake · can · kick · date · ruler · swing · cap

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cap — a lid
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. fall — the season
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. cap — of ice
  10. can — a tin
  11. swing — in golf
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. can — a tin
  14. cap — a hat
  15. fall — to drop
  16. kick — in football
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. date — the fruit
  22. can — to be able to
  23. swing — music
  24. wake — before a funeral

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