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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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468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. can — a tin
  8. cold — not warm
  9. file — a line of people
  10. cap — of ice
  11. can — a tin
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. deal — to handle
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cap — a lid
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bear — the animal
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a tool
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cold — an illness

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