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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fall — the season
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. can — a tin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. hand — help
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. kid — to tease
  11. can — a tin
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. kid — child
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. rush — hurry
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fall — to drop
  23. can — to be able to
  24. dip — to sink

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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