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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. can — a tin
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bear — the animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. charge — a price
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. charge — electricity
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. charge — in control
  18. can — a tin
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. squash — to crush

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