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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game 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. mouse — the animal
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mine — for digging
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. face — to point toward
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. squash — the sport

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