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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. charge — electricity
  10. dip — to sink
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. charge — in control
  13. kid — child
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. charge — a price
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. tear — from crying
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. ball — a great time
  24. hide — to keep secret

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