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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · present · stick · bowl · deal · dip · kid · prune

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. dip — to sink
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. present — there
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. deal — to handle
  17. present — a gift
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. kid — child
  21. present — the time now
  22. kid — to tease
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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