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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mug — a face
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rule — government
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. suit — in cards
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. shower — to wash
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bass — low music
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mug — to rob
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rule — a law
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cell — a phone
  20. suit — clothes
  21. shower — rain
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cell — in biology
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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