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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mark — a trace
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. game — wild animals
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. roll — a cake
  23. game — a match
  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