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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to sink
  9. cold — not warm
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. ball — a dance
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cold — an illness
  24. ball — a great time

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