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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pass — a permit
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bark — to shout
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chest — a box
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. chest — of your body
  19. can — to be able to
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. can — a tin
  24. chest — of your body

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