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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mug — a face
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. object — to protest
  5. mug — to rob
  6. suit — clothes
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mug — a cup
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. charge — electricity
  13. game — wild animals
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. suit — to fit
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. game — a match
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. object — a thing
  20. suit — in cards
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. object — an aim
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. game — a kind of play

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