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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rush — hurry
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. row — to paddle
  6. clip — to cut
  7. row — a line
  8. cue — a hint
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cue — for pool
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. kid — to tease
  13. content — the amount
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cue — a signal
  18. clip — for paper
  19. kid — child
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. content — happy
  22. clip — a video
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rush — to hurry

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