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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 120 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mug — to rob
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. land — ground
  11. bound — obliged
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mug — a face
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mug — a cup
  19. land — to come down
  20. squash — the sport
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. land — a country
  24. bound — certain

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