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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. fall — to drop
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. last — to go on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. content — happy
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. last — finally
  15. foot — a measure
  16. content — the amount
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. deal — to handle
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fall — the season
  21. last — final
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. rush — hurry

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