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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. kick — in football
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bear — the animal
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rock — music
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. last — finally
  10. drill — army training
  11. swing — to play on
  12. last — to go on
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. swing — in golf
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. swing — music
  21. last — final
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bear — the animal

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