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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. kid — child
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. craft — boats
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. mine — for digging
  11. kid — to tease
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pit — a hole
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. fine — all right
  20. pit — in a race
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rest — a break
  24. mine — belonging to me

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