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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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468
Word bank
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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. kid — to tease
  3. tube — a container
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. kid — child
  15. snap — to click
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. row — a line
  18. game — a match
  19. tube — the underground
  20. suit — in cards
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. suit — to fit

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