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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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. content — the amount
  3. rock — music
  4. craft — boats
  5. kick — in football
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. content — happy
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rock — a stone
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. race — the arms race
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. race — a contest
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. race — humankind
  24. saw — the tool

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