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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — a trail
  3. present — there
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. hand — in cards
  6. kid — child
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. hand — help
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. sharp — clever
  16. present — the time now
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. present — a gift
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. kid — to tease
  23. stand — to bear
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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