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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.

Make a worksheet

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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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. squash — to crush
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. present — there
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bore — to tire
  7. squash — the sport
  8. object — an aim
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. present — the time now
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. present — a gift
  20. toast — bread
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. object — to protest
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. object — a thing

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