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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wake — a trail
  6. track — a path
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cell — a phone
  14. stand — to bear
  15. track — a song
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. key — in music
  22. sharp — clever
  23. track — to keep track
  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