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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. kick — in football
  4. content — the amount
  5. dip — to sink
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cold — an illness
  9. content — happy
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. craft — boats
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. cold — not warm
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. craft — a skill
  24. dip — a sauce

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