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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. can — to be able to
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. can — a tin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. can — a tin
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. scale — in music
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. scale — size or range
  23. snap — to click
  24. hide — animal skin

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