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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. rush — hurry
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. can — a tin
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. can — a tin
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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