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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. sharp — with an edge
  3. cell — a phone
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. perch — the fish
  13. key — the most important part
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. sharp — clever
  17. toast — bread
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cell — in biology
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  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