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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rest — what's left
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. present — there
  7. game — wild animals
  8. present — the time now
  9. dip — to sink
  10. game — a match
  11. rest — what's left
  12. spell — a short time
  13. race — humankind
  14. rest — a break
  15. race — the arms race
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. race — a contest
  18. present — a gift
  19. face — to confront
  20. spell — letters
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spell — magic
  24. face — to point toward

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