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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. court — of law
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pop — soda
  6. court — of a king
  7. current — of water
  8. pop — music
  9. current — happening now
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. tear — from crying
  20. current — electric
  21. pop — to visit
  22. court — for sport
  23. rest — a break
  24. snap — to click

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