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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hand — in cards
  3. wound — an injury
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. charge — in control
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. branch — a division
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. wound — an injury
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. charge — electricity
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. snap — to click
  19. prune — to trim
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. prune — to trim
  24. charge — a price

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