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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. object — a thing
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. last — to go on
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. last — final
  12. lean — thin
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. scale — size or range
  17. squash — to crush
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. last — finally
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. squash — the sport
  22. scale — in music
  23. bark — to shout
  24. safe — a strongbox

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