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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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468
Word bank
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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bark — to shout
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pass — a permit
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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