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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 116 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. hand — help
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fork — in a road
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. leaves — of a tree

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