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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. season — in sport
  6. bound — obliged
  7. file — a tool
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ball — a great time
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bound — tied together
  14. deal — to handle
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wound — an injury
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. season — of the year
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wound — an injury
  22. file — a document
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bound — certain

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