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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rash — a series
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. firm — decided
  18. kid — to tease
  19. firm — a company
  20. rock — music
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. firm — steady

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