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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a list
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. roll — a cake
  20. kick — in football
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fine — all right

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