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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. bore — to tire
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bore — to drill
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. march — the month
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — rain
  24. safe — a strongbox

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