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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. firm — a company
  4. cap — a lid
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. firm — steady
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cap — of ice
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. firm — decided

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