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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 124 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 retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. season — in sport
  3. wound — an injury
  4. season — of the year
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mine — for digging
  13. current — electric
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. snap — to click
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. current — happening now
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. current — of water

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