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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pitch — completely
  4. chest — of your body
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bear — the animal
  8. row — a line
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bear — the animal
  12. row — to paddle
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. craft — boats
  23. chest — a box
  24. safe — out of danger

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