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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 116 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hand — in cards
  3. present — there
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. drill — the tool
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pitch — completely
  10. kick — in football
  11. present — the time now
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. drill — army training
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bat — the animal
  21. present — a gift
  22. hand — help
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bat — for baseball

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