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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. snap — to click
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. kick — in football
  20. pit — a hole
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. temple — a place of worship

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