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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lean — thin
  3. shower — rain
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. net — in sport
  8. lean — to bend
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bound — certain
  15. net — for catching
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bound — tied together
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bound — obliged
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. shower — to wash
  24. net — after costs

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