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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. season — of the year
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. race — a contest
  6. fall — the season
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. race — the arms race
  13. fall — to drop
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. race — humankind
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. season — in sport
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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