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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pit — a hole
  6. hand — help
  7. rest — what's left
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. board — to get on
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. board — a committee
  14. pit — in a race
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. charge — in control
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bear — the animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rest — a break
  24. tear — to rip

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