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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rule — a law
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. firm — a company
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rule — government
  12. firm — decided
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. firm — steady
  20. ball — a great time
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wake — a trail

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