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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 116 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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fall — to drop
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fall — the season
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. can — a tin
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bark — to shout
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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