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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cell — a phone
  7. shower — rain
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cell — in biology
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mark — a grade
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bore — to drill
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wake — a trail

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