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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. lean — thin
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cold — not warm
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. mouse — for a computer

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