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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rush — hurry
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pound — a weight
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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