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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. can — a tin
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. can — to be able to
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. saw — the tool
  15. sharp — clever
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. can — a tin
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lean — to bend
  22. swing — music
  23. lean — thin
  24. calf — a young animal

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