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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fork — in a road
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. hand — help
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. hand — in cards
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. foot — a measure
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. deal — to handle

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