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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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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. kid — to tease
  3. cue — for pool
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fall — to drop
  6. scale — in music
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bat — the animal
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. kid — child
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fall — the season
  16. cue — a hint
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fall — to drop
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bat — for baseball

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