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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. kid — child
  3. suit — to fit
  4. can — a tin
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. can — a tin
  17. suit — in cards
  18. kid — to tease
  19. can — to be able to
  20. hand — help
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. suit — clothes
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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