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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. sharp — clever
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. object — to protest
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rest — a break
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. object — a thing
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. object — an aim
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. saw — the tool
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kid — child
  20. saw — the tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rest — what's left
  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