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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pitch — completely
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. key — in music
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. sharp — clever
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. key — for a lock
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. sharp — exactly

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