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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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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wind — moving air
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. calf — of the leg

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