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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 120 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bound — certain
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mark — a trace
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bound — tied together
  7. kick — in football
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. sharp — clever
  13. spell — a short time
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. spring — of water
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. track — to keep track
  20. spring — the season
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. spell — magic
  23. mark — a grade
  24. spell — letters

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