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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. prune — to trim
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. shower — rain
  8. saw — the tool
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. pound — a weight
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. kick — in football
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stock — shares
  24. kick — with a leg

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