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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. drill — a practice
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rule — government
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. drill — the tool
  11. firm — steady
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cold — an illness
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — decided
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rule — a law
  19. drill — army training
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — music
  22. cold — not warm
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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