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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 124 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cue — a hint
  8. saw — the tool
  9. spring — a coil
  10. deal — to handle
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. march — the month
  15. spring — the season
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. kick — in football
  22. march — the month
  23. spring — of water
  24. march — music

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