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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. net — in sport
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. net — after costs
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. cap — a hat
  19. kick — in football
  20. branch — a division
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. cap — of ice
  24. net — for catching

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