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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. drill — the tool
  12. pound — a weight
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — army training
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — a friend
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. snap — to click
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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