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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. shower — to wash
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. saw — the tool
  11. shower — rain
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. saw — the tool

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