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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. shower — to wash
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. mug — a face
  12. shower — rain
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mug — a cup
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ground — the earth
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mug — to rob
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. kick — in football
  24. ground — a position

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