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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pound — a weight
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bank — for money
  11. squash — to crush
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. object — an aim
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bank — of a river
  16. snap — to click
  17. squash — the sport
  18. ground — a position
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bank — for money
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. nail — for a hammer

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