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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. kid — to tease
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. sharp — clever
  12. squash — to crush
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. kid — child
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. toast — bread
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. mate — a friend
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. wake — a trail

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