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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mug — a face
  3. kid — child
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pass — a permit
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. mug — to rob
  11. can — a tin
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. can — a tin
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. spell — letters
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mug — a cup
  23. spell — magic
  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