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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bore — to tire
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — happy
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cap — a hat
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bore — to drill
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pass — a permit
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cap — a lid
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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