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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cell — in biology
  3. squash — the sport
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wind — moving air
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bore — to tire
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wind — moving air
  18. dip — to sink
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cell — a phone
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bore — gave birth

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