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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wake — a trail
  5. object — an aim
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. object — to protest
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. lean — to bend
  23. object — a thing
  24. lean — thin

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