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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. spring — the season
  3. wound — an injury
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chip — to eat
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. firm — a company
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. firm — decided
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. spring — of water
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. spring — a coil
  21. sharp — clever
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wound — an injury
  24. firm — steady

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