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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 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stock — goods
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. face — to confront
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stock — shares
  19. kid — to tease
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kid — child
  23. bat — the animal
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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