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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. dip — to sink
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. chest — of your body
  20. prune — to trim
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. chest — a box

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