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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.

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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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. cap — of ice
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. clip — to cut
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. track — a path
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. row — a line
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. tear — from crying
  12. clip — a video
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. cap — a hat
  15. clip — for paper
  16. ball — a dance
  17. cap — a lid
  18. tear — from crying
  19. track — to keep track
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. tear — to rip
  23. ball — a great time
  24. track — a song

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