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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. chest — a box
  4. kid — to tease
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. net — in sport
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. chest — of your body
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. net — after costs
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. chest — of your body
  14. content — the amount
  15. net — for catching
  16. content — happy
  17. kid — child
  18. stand — to bear

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