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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. can — a tin
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. can — a tin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. row — a line
  10. row — to paddle
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. squash — the sport
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. squash — to crush
  18. sharp — clever
  19. stand — to bear
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rush — to hurry

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