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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. ball — a dance
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fall — the season
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fall — to drop
  13. branch — a division
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. ball — a round shape

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