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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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468
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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wake — a trail
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rest — what's left
  13. craft — boats
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. file — a line of people
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rest — a break
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — before a funeral

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