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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mine — for digging
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. net — after costs
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. current — happening now
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. net — for catching
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. current — of water
  22. net — in sport
  23. current — electric
  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