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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. drill — a practice
  5. staff — employees
  6. bound — obliged
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bound — certain
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. drill — army training
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. drill — the tool
  15. hand — in cards
  16. staff — employees
  17. can — a tin
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rash — hasty
  21. can — a tin
  22. bound — tied together
  23. hand — help
  24. rash — a series

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