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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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. kick — a thrill
  3. swing — music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. kid — to tease
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. swing — in golf
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. swing — to play on
  12. tear — from crying
  13. kid — child
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. tear — from crying
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. season — of the year

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