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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 120 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. can — a tin
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chip — to eat
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. chip — for betting
  11. sharp — clever
  12. can — to be able to
  13. branch — a division
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. can — a tin
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in a prison

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