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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. staff — a stick
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bank — of a river
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. staff — employees
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. last — finally
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. snap — to click
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bank — for money
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. staff — employees
  22. craft — boats
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bank — for money

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