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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. swing — music
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. kid — to tease
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. file — a document
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. swing — in golf
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. can — a tin
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. file — a line of people
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. kid — child
  19. can — to be able to
  20. file — a tool
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. can — a tin
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bay — a horse colour

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