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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. kid — child
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pit — a hole
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wake — a trail
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pit — in a race
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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