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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rash — hasty
  4. kid — to tease
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. scale — size or range
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. craft — a skill
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. kid — child
  22. craft — boats
  23. scale — in music
  24. row — a line

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