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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. land — to come down
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. land — a country
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. land — ground
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wake — a trail
  17. roll — a cake
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rush — hurry
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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