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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. track — a song
  9. suit — to fit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. track — a path
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bear — the animal
  17. suit — clothes
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. track — to keep track
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. kick — in football
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bear — the animal
  24. can — a tin

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