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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. spring — of water
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. can — a tin
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. wound — an injury
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wound — an injury
  15. face — to confront
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. can — a tin
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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