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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. spring — a coil
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. can — a tin
  7. stock — goods
  8. wake — a trail
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stock — shares
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. can — a tin
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. spring — of water
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. clip — to cut
  22. can — to be able to
  23. spring — the season
  24. wake — before a funeral

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