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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rule — a law
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. object — a thing
  8. foot — a measure
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. can — a tin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chest — of your body
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rule — government
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. object — an aim
  18. chest — a box
  19. row — a line
  20. can — a tin
  21. row — to paddle
  22. can — to be able to
  23. object — to protest
  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