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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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468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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 — to attach or keep to
  3. rest — a break
  4. face — to confront
  5. shower — rain
  6. pit — a hole
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bass — the fish
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. kid — child
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bass — low music
  21. shower — to wash
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. kid — to tease

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