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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. craft — a skill
  3. kid — child
  4. lean — thin
  5. club — for golf
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pass — a permit
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. kid — to tease
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wake — a trail
  14. craft — boats
  15. pit — a hole
  16. march — music
  17. club — a group
  18. lean — to bend
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. march — the month
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. march — the month

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