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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. game — wild animals
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. rock — music
  8. game — a match
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. stem — to come from
  12. deal — to handle
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rock — a stone
  17. lean — thin
  18. last — finally
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. last — final
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. dip — to sink
  23. lean — to bend
  24. last — to go on

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