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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. board — to get on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rash — a series
  11. deal — to handle
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. content — the amount
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. content — happy
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. board — a committee
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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