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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. face — part of the head
  4. squash — the sport
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. squash — to crush
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. face — to confront
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. dip — to sink
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. branch — a division
  21. face — to point toward
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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