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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wake — a trail
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. row — to paddle
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cell — in biology
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cell — a phone
  20. fall — to drop
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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