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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pass — a permit
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. mug — a cup
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mug — a face
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cold — an illness
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. pit — a hole
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cold — not warm
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wake — a trail
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. nail — for a hammer

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