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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cap — a lid
  11. deal — to handle
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. club — for dancing
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. club — for golf
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. club — a group

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