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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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. craft — boats
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lean — to bend
  5. object — a thing
  6. wake — a trail
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. object — to protest
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cold — an illness
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. scale — size or range
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. scale — in music
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. object — an aim
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lean — thin

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