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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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468
Word bank
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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: stand · kid · nail · stick · wake · ball · roll · fine

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. kid — to tease
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. roll — a list
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stand — to bear
  21. roll — a cake
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fine — all right
  24. kid — child

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