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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. foot — a measure
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. craft — a skill
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. craft — boats
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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