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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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. lean — thin
  3. wake — a trail
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. last — final
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mine — for digging
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. last — finally
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. roll — a cake
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. last — to go on

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