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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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 — part of the body
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cell — a phone
  9. hand — help
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. cell — in biology
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pound — a weight
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bulb — for light

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