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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — a gift
  5. cap — a lid
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. date — the fruit
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cap — of ice
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cap — a hat
  24. present — there

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