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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. club — for dancing
  6. chest — a box
  7. club — for golf
  8. hand — help
  9. object — to protest
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. object — a thing
  12. club — a group
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pass — a permit
  16. foot — a measure
  17. chest — of your body
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. hand — in cards
  23. chest — of your body
  24. object — an aim

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