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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wound — an injury
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. chest — a box
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. perch — for a bird

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