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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. kid — to tease
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. snap — to click
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wind — moving air
  18. kid — child
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wind — moving air
  24. racket — for tennis

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