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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 124 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. net — for catching
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. snap — to click
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. tube — a container
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. net — after costs
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. toast — bread
  18. net — in sport
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stand — to bear
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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