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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. suit — clothes
  3. hand — help
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wake — a trail
  6. sharp — clever
  7. kid — to tease
  8. suit — in cards
  9. board — a committee
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. hand — in cards
  14. kid — child
  15. board — to get on
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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