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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: bowl · wake · safe · rock · kid · row · mouse · stick

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. row — a line
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. kid — to tease
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. kid — child
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rock — music
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rock — a stone
  23. row — to paddle
  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