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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stock — goods
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. object — a thing
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. object — an aim
  12. stock — shares
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. object — to protest
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. snap — to click
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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